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Shadows of Desire By Dark Gremlin
Disclaimer: Buffythe
Vampire Slayer and all associated characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant
Enemy, and UPN Television, Witchblade belongs to Marc Silvestri, Top Crow Comics
and
Warner Brothers and are used without permission. No copyright
infringement is intended.
Note: This does not take place during the timeline of either show. The people and places are just there.
Chapter 3
The drive to the Monroe house didn?t take that long, but to Buffy, it seemed to take a life time. She turned off the main road onto a long dirt road. The trees on both sides of the road formed a tunnel that seemed to transport them back through time. The house was nestled in a grove of tall trees. There was a pond to the right, and a big apple tree in the front. The paint of the house wasold, faded and had certainly seen better days.
Buffy prayed with all her heart this was where theNaeji took Willow. This was the most remote shadowy place she could think of. One problem about living in a place like Sunnydale was the over abundance of vacant buildings and houses. <Please be here. Please? Oh Willow, Why can?t I just tell you how I feel? I mean look at me. I?ve stopped the apocalypse?what 3 times now, but I can?t look at you and tell you how I feel. Some slayer I am. Give me a horde of things that go bump in the night and I don?t even flinch, but try and talk about my feelings and I would rather run the other way.> Buffy paused from her mental sorrows to make a decision. The one decision that she had putting off for some time now. The next time she saw Willow she was going to tell her how she felt. She just hoped that it would not cost her the red head?s friendship.
Xander, Anya, and Giles carefully made their way through Rosewood Cemetery. The mausoleum they were looking for was in the far left corner. Somewhere off in the night a night owl acknowledged the presents ofthe intruders. This was one of the older cemeteries in town. They reached the building, only to find they weren?t the first ones to be there. There wasa large rusty iron lock lying on the ground near the entrance. Xander wondered briefly if the lock was meant to keep others out or to make sure what ever was inside stayed there.
?Looks like we?re too late. Let?s look around maybe who ever was here missed something. This is the last known location of the Witchblade.? Giles shined his flashlight around the entrance to the tomb. Something on the door caught his attention. ?There appears to be something engraved on the door. It looks like ancient Carpathian, I believe. Let?s see my Carpathian is not very good, but I believe it says ?beware all that seeks the power of the Witchblade. Answers become truth only when you ask the right questions.??
?Huh? What does that mean? It sounds like something you find in a fortune cookie.?
?Xander! Please. This has to be some kind of clue. We just have to decipher it?s meaning.? Giles mumbled while scribbling thewords into a small note pad that he kept in his pocket.
They spent two hours going over every inch of the mausoleum and it?s surrounding area. Unfortunately they found nothing else that could be considered a clue. That?s not to say they didn?t find ?anything?. Four vampires was a good nights work for them. Not anything close to the slayer?s night work, but they weren?t going out looking for them either.
A little while later everyone gathered at the Summer?s residence to comparenotes and discuss the best course of action.
?NOTHING! Where could she be? We have to find her. There?s no telling what could happen to her if we don?t fine her soon.? The frustrated slayer raged as she paced back and forth.
?Buffy said that she was able to talk with people telepathically. Has she contacted anyone?? Gamorek asked hopefully. He thought back to what he found out a few hours earlier.
****?We will find her Buffy.? He winced as her hand made another hole in the wall. ?Buffy please?Stop. Your going to hurt yourself.? He knew the slayer was close to the witch, but from her reaction he guessedshe was closer than people thought. Acting on instinct he grabbed the slayer around the waist and tried to pin her arms to her side so she didn?t injure herself. For a brief moment he forgot the strength and power that was hidden in the small compact body in front of him. He was quickly reminded of just how much power she had when, without warning and acting on pure instinct, she threw her hands out effectively breaking his grip. She tossed her head back connecting hard with his chest. Gamorek suddenly found himself sailing through the air only to connect with the wall on the other side of the room.
?Uugg, that was profoundly STUPID!? Gamorek admitted.
?Ohh? Gamorek? I am soo sorry.? The slayerrushed over to make sure the man was alright.
?It?s ok? I?m just a bit bruised and I really should have known than to do something like that.?
?I?m sorry? It?s just ?"
?It?s just that you love her more than a friend and feel responsible when something happens.? Gamorek stated matter of factly. Gamorek shrugged his shoulders at the deer in the headlight look Buffy had on her face. ?Some times it takes an outsider to be able to see things for what they really are.?
?She is the most important thing in my life. Everything I do is because of her, but I?m afraid that if I tell her she?ll reject me. Then I would loose one of the best friends that I ever had. So I just keep doing what I?m doing and settle with her friendship.? Buffy admitted. ?But I can?t go on like this. I?ve decided that when we do find her we are going to have a long talk. I just hope if she doesn?t feel the same way we can keep our friendship.
Gamorek shook his head. <How could she not see the way the witch looks at her.> ?Buffy if I may make a suggestion. If you have any doubts about her feeling about you I would suggest to take a good look at her. Don?t make it obvious but watch her out of the corner of your eye. I noticed something when we met yesterday? When you are not paying attention she is staring at you. I believe that her feelings mirror yours.?
?I hope your right Gamorek? I really hope your right. ****
The chorus of no?s brought Gamorek back to the present. <We better find her soon. I really don?t think the slayer?s sanity is going to hold out much longer>
?I suggest we take shifts. Two people will research while the rest get some sleep. We have to find more information on the demon and on this Witchblade. Joyceand I will take the first shift. The rest of you go get some sleep. We?ll wake you if we come up with anything.?
?WHAT!!?? Buffy scowled at her mentor. ?You expect us to just go to sleep? That is just so not going to happen. There is no way I?m going to sleep while she is out there.?
?B-B-Buffy? I t-think he?s r-right.? Tara said nervously. ?If Willow is able to c-connect with any of us it w-would be easier for her when we?re s-sleeping. There?s less resistance that way.?
?Yes, quiet right Tara, and we all been up for over 24 hours now. It?s not going to help Willow if we?re too tired to understand the information. Buffy please. Go.? Giles said as he rubbed the bridge of hisnose. He knew it wasn?t going to be easy for any of them to get any amount of sleep, but he also knew it was too dangerous for them to get overtired. This way they would be able to last a lot longer if they had to.
?Ok, but as soon as you find something?? Buffy relented.
?You?ll be the first one that knows. You have my word.? Joyce interrupted her daughter. She was very worried about her eldest.
?Thanks Mom?
?Goodnight honey?
When Willow woke up, the first thing she noticed was the blinding pain, that had been with her since she was taken, was gone. <That?s more like it. Now let?s see if I can get myself out of here.> She closed her eyes and started her breathing exercises designed to help focus her mind. She might not of had the blinding pain, but her mind was still very foggy. Whenthe witch felt she was ready she started mumbling, her body swaying back and forth.
?Don?t bother witch.? The shadow sneered. ?The chains and locks are magic proof. Your spells and hocus pocus will not set you free. You will be here until the slayer finds and turns the Witchblade over to me. Now if you?ll excuse me I have business to attend to.?
<Ok.. Now what? I wonder? He said that I couldn?t use magic to free myself, but he didn?t say that I couldn?t use magic at all.> She took a deep breath and once again settled her mind.
Willow turned around and looked down at her body still chained to the floor. To the casual observer it looked like she was in a deep restful sleep, but that was just her vessel. She learned awhile ago she could force her spirit out of her body. To her it was like her consciousness was split in two. She could still feel her body breathing, but now she was able to move around freely.
?Now let?s see where I am.? She wouldn?t be able to go too far away from her body, but she would be able to go far enough to figure out where she was. If she was able to do that, then she could contact Buffy again so the slayer could get her out.
Willow?s spirit walked through the door. Physical objects did not effect her spirit. If she wanted to, however, she could effect physical objects by moving them more with her mind than her spirit. She walked up the stairs and through the door that led out of the basement. She the apartmentshe found herself in was not much better than the basement. Finding her way outof the apartment she walked down the hallway, passing people as she went. She figured this was where some of the homeless people stayed to get away from the ?night life? that was so abundant in Sunnydale.
She looked around to get her barrings ?205 Main Street. Now to contact Buffy and get out of here.? She quickly went by the homeless people that didn?t know she was even there. Her body took a long deep breath. ?Wow, I don?t think I could ever get used to that.?
Summer?s Residence 2 Days after Willow was taken
Buffy tossed and turned in yet another nightmare. Ever since Willow was taken the slayer was plagued with horrific sights of what Willow could be going through. In the dream it was always the same. Willow was chained to an altar in the middle of a large meadow. The demons around her were stabbing her with different instruments and touching her. The altar was in the middle of a large green field. The air seemed warm with the sun setting. She tried with all her might to move to free Willow, but she was frozen in place. The demons in her dream just laughed and taunted her as they continued to do unspeakable things to Willow.
?Get away from her!!! Let her go!!!? The slayer screamed and thrashed about but nothing helped.
A tall woman that seemed to appear out of no where walked confidently towardsthe slayer. ?Relax, This isn?t real. It?s a dream.?
?It?s not real?? Buffy asked in a small hopeful voice. W-W-Who are you?? When Buffy looked back to where Willow was, the altar, the demons, and worst of all Willow, were all gone. ?Where did she go?? The slayer cried.
?Buffy, take a deep breath. My name is Sara. I?m here to help you. If you?ll let me.
?Help me? How? Why should I trust you? How do I know you didn?t make Willow go away??
?Right now all I can give you is my word. I?m not asking you to trust me Buffy. Trust, like respect must be earned, it can?t be given. I will help you as much as I can, but what you do with the information is up to you. I was once a wielder of the Witchblade.?
Buffy took the time to really look at the mysterious woman. From the accent the woman had Buffy figured she was from New York City. She had dark brown hair and everything about her screamed confidence.
?So let me get this straight. You just want me to find it, too? What makes thisany different from the Naeji??
?Because, Buffy, I don?t want it. I want to make sure it?s safe and gets into the right hands. The blade has a way of protecting it?s self, but right now it needs your help. You need to find the next wielder. She will be a great ally in your destiny. She is going to need someone to talk to. Someone that doesn?t think she?s crazy and knows the things that go on at night.?
?Ok How am I supposed to find this girl? I can?t even find the Witchblade.?
?Did your watcher tell you about the riddle on the tomb of the last wielder? Answers become truth only when you ask the right questions.?
?Yeah, what?s up with that? We decided it was a reject from a fortune cookie.?
?Buffy, make sure you?re asking the right questions. If the answers your getting are not leading you to what you want, try changingthe question. That is all I can tell you right now. I?ll be around when you need me.? With that the mysterious woman was gone. Leaving Buffy alone again.
Buffy looked around at the meadow. If the woman was right then this was still a dream, but she couldn?t figure out why she was still here. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure approach her. The person wasthe subject of her dreams and most recently her nightmares. ?Willow??
Continued?.maybe if you ask nice.
Dark Gremlin
Co-Founder Hand of Chaos, Chief Collaborator, Director of Air Defense, Water Balloon Catapult Operator of the Woods Outback |